Page 413 - 7 Persian Trade rep Muscat 1_Neat

3
Transport. Health.
Transport along the Coast in by wiling vessel an! The climate of Muscat is extremely bad, the heat
is cheap. Transport inland is carried out by pace being cxcesiivc during the greater part of the year,
animals or.d is difficult, dangerous and expensive. A damp heat usually prevails but it is varied by very
The rates defend upon the distance the goods have hot winds ia May and June, owing to the climate
to be com iyed and the difficulty of the journey* and lack of sanitation the public health is bad.
No mean3 of development of transport and core- malarial fever being the prevailing disease. The-
munication exist at present owing to the exceedingly highest temperature recorded in the year was 11T20?
primitive methods of the people of the country. and the lowest 73*0’ F.

Freight and Shipping:.
Natural Resources.
Steamers.—The usual statements showing shipping
Mineral*.—As far as is known there arc no minerals figure are attached to this report. 13G steam ships
that could be profitably worked. of all nationalities entered and cleared the port du­
ring the year representing a net tonnage of 312,528
and 97 sai'irg vessels with a tonnage of 12,028, of
Agriculture. the 130 steam ships which entered the poet 5 were from.
United States of America, 3 from United Kingdom
Date growing is the only real industry of the
country. Limes and mangoes are also successfully and the rest from India.
The Biriliih. India Steam Navigation Company,
crown, while pomegranates are the product of the
-rebel Akhdhar. Cereals are grown on a small scale Limited, maintain a weekly slow mail service both to
ar.-l could not be further de%'elopcd owing to the Bombay and Basrah. The fast mail steamers which
used to 6ervc the port weekly both ways were with­
limited quantby of water available..
drawn during the European War and have not been
resumed since.
Freights.—The statement below gives the averager
rates of freight;
Population.
The population of Muscat is about 2,000 and that £
of Matrah abort 20,000. The majority of the houses Dry dates to India . . MO per ton.
Wet dates to India .
m Muscat are empty or are in ruins, Sur is a sailing Dry fish to India . 1-0 99
. 0-13
v«sol port wi:h a population of about 12,000. The Fresh fenha to India . 17 99
dSculty in obtaining water alone prevents the in­ Dry limes to Persian Calf . 2-14 99 f ►
crease of popuiition there. The population of Sobar
hs3decreased to 5,000 and is mainly concerned in the
export of dates, fruits and firewood.
It is quite impossible to estimate the population of R. G. HINDE, Major,
she interior. The majority of the population are Uis Britannic Majesty's Consul
fettled Arabs. ilaslaL